Quincy boxer Steve Vukosa returns to the ring after 12-year layoff

Quincy's Steve Vukosa will end a 12-year absence from the ring Saturday when he fights for the vacant New England heavyweight championship.

Jay N. MillerFor The Patriot Ledger

QUINCY – Ending a 12-year layoff by fighting a main event against the man most people would tab as the best heavyweight in New England? Steve Vukosa thinks it will be fun.

That’s the same attitude that also finds the former North Quincy High wrestling star entering grappling tournaments around New England. The 6-5 boxer has always enjoyed all kinds of competition.

But for a 37-year-old boxer, who had to step away from the game due to injuries, making your first ring appearance since May 23, 2002 (when he won a six-round decision in Burbank, California) might be an occasion that called for some caution.

Vukosa will meet Providence heavyweight Jason Estrada Saturday at Royale in Boston in an eight-round main event for the vacant New England heavyweight championship. Estrada, 33, is like Vukosa a multiple New England amateur champion who went on to national prominence before turning pro. But Estrada, 20-4-1, has been able to stay busy since turning pro and is currently riding a four-bout win streak. His career was moving along nicely until he dipped, losing three of four bouts between 2009 and 2011, including one to Polish slugger Tomas Adamek.

Vukosa came up through the amateur ranks with Quincy’s Cyr-Farrell Boxing Gym, where he was trained by Jimmy Farrell Jr. But when he signed a pro contract, Vukosa headed west where he was based in Los Angeles, training with former Dedham pug Freddie Roach, among others. Vukosa was gliding along, running up eight straight wins as a pro, including four knockouts, before blowing out a knee. Surgery and months of rehab put his ring career on hold and eventually Vukosa returned to Quincy and began building a normal life.

Vukosa drives a bus for the MBTA now, his knees are okay and he’s married. His wife Shannon and he have two children, a daughter, 4 1/2, and a son, 2 1/2 years old.

“My wife and kids didn’t like the idea of my coming back to boxing,” said Vukosa after a recent mid-day workout at the Cyr-Farrell Gym. “That’s one reason I’m telling everyone this will be just a couple fights, at most, not a real long, involved thing.

“I always wanted to come back and finish it up around here,” said Vukosa. “I just hate the ways things ended. I had blown out a knee and after two operations things were not working out, so I had to decide to pursue a regular job. But I’d rather see my career end in the ring, than in the doctor’s office. One or two fights, win, lose or draw, I’m going to be done. This is just my way of ending by putting an exclamation point on my boxing career. And, it’ll be fun.’’

“It’s not the way I’d usually recommend someone come back from a long layoff,” said Farrell. “But Steve is always in shape and he still has that great boxing sense. He’s the kind of guy who’ll take off to New Hampshire for an all-day grappling tournament, going against college kids, just because he likes the challenge.”

Vukosa has been hitting the gym as often as possible for several months, in between driving for the T.

“I’m usually doing routes around Ashmont, Fields Corner, that area,” he said.

“My wife works nights, so I’m watching the kids then,” Vukosa noted. “Lots of days I spend my lunch hour down here working out, so it makes for a pretty busy schedule. It’s been tough sledding, no doubt, but it’s not a serious thing where I’ll be doing this for years. This guy is almost my age, so, records aside, this should be a good, close match.

“I think I’m more excited for this one than I was for my pro debut,” said Vukosa with a big grin.

Saturday’s card starts early, at 3 p.m. and currently there are 10 bouts scheduled. The undercard includes Stoughton light-heavy Mical Weisberg, 3-1, meeting Rameil Shelton in a six-rounder. Weisberg, a Bridgewater State graduate, hasn’t boxed since suffering his first loss, due to cuts, almost exactly a year ago.